Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• English Language Proficiency: Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English
• Experience and Education: Experience: Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work
• or Education: Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)
• or Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying
• Certification: Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75
• Essentially, they must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation, and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and be certified as radiographers in their field
• Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence include: Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.
• or Successful completion of the Principles and Practice of Dental Radiology and Radiographic Safety courses and examinations developed by the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Dentistry
• or Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD)
• Grandfathering Provision: May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• Grade Determination for GS-06: At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05)
• Knowledge of anatomy and ability to evaluate diagnostic quality
• Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement
• Basic knowledge of instruments, materials and standardized dental procedures
• Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA
• Basic communication skills to provide patient instructions according to established protocol
• In addition to the above experience, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: Ability to identify normal oral anatomy
• Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care and procedures
• Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs
• Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist
• Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats
• Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry
• Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records
• Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06
• Physical Requirements: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk
• This work requires long periods of standing and walking as well as considerable bending and stooping
• Patient mental and physical status will require the incumbent to be able to assist patients during transfer that is required of examinations and treatment
• The incumbent of this position is expected to understand, remember, and apply oral and/or written instructions or other information
• understand, remember, and communicate routine, factual information: understand problems and to collaborate and explore alternative solutions
• understand opposing points of view and to integrate different viewpoints
• organize thoughts and ideas into understandable terminology
• organize and prioritize own work schedule
• count accurately
• and understand and follow basic instructions and guidelines.